| Editorial August 2003
Buying Over the Internet
Before you rush to judgment based solely on this
editorial’s title, let me get a few things out of the way: I’m not going to
preach to you about how Internet e-tailers are pushing brick-and-mortar dealers out of
business. You won’t hear me harp on the idea that value-oriented service is the way
for dealers to beat the Internet discount houses. And I won’t tell you that
you’re sloughing off your responsibilities when you don’t support local
businesses. Numerous writers have covered all of that ground before.
Although it may seem that there are only
polar-opposite sides to this debate, I don’t think that is quite accurate in the real
world. I’ve read articles that would have you believe that consumers are either
price-only Internet shoppers or, conversely, eschew the Internet for purchases altogether.
That’s not been my experience at all.
I have six friends who have purchased automobiles over eBay within the past two years. These very
same people are just as likely to shop around in their own towns, and did, when
researching their purchases. Each and every one of them would have bought locally if they
had been able to locate what they were looking for priced at what they were willing to
pay. I have other friends who have purchased vehicles solely through their local
dealerships. Many of these people did look at sites like eBay and Auto Trader but were able to find
what they were looking for within close driving distance, so it was more convenient to buy
locally. Sometimes the deal comes down to service; sometimes just the cost of shipping
sways the decision; other times it’s just a matter of availability.
Home-theater equipment is the same in many respects.
Whereas someone buying a car looks at service as an issue, so does the HT buyer. And the
list of concerns is the same right on down the line: availability, options, finishes,
price, delivery time, customer service, and on and on. These are the real issues that
folks think about, not whether it’s the Internet or a local dealer. They just want to
make the best buying decision they can. I don’t blame ‘em. I’m the same
way.
I like having options. There are times I may buy something
over the Internet on my lunch hour, when I just don’t have time to go shopping. Be it
clothes, electronic gizmos like cameras, or a birthday present for an out-of-town
relative, sometimes it just comes down to convenience. Yet when my wife and I go antiquing
on the weekends, I look forward to seeing the items in person.
Here is the biggest line-blurrer of them all: Many (most?)
bricks-and-mortar dealers have some facility to sell over the Internet. So, in some cases,
although you are finding what you want online you’re also buying from a real store.
What side of the debate does that fall into? Maybe the point of all this is that the
"great debate" is largely irrelevant to normal, everyday people looking to get
what they want in the best manner for them. Some things work over the Internet, and some
don’t (remember when groceries were being sold through Priceline?). I’m OK with it, and
I suspect most of you are, too.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
